Sal Khan says A.I. can help teachers create ‘an exceptional classroom’: Full interview

• Sal Khan shared stories of learners whose lives changed thanks to Khan Academy, including a woman who used it under Taliban rule and later attended MIT.
• Another learner was a man who studied in prison using Khan Academy and later transferred to Stanford as a junior.

• Personalized education resembles Aristotle tutoring Alexander the Great, which was the gold standard for most of history.
• Mass education forced compromise by grouping students together, causing many to fall behind without individual support.

Sal Khan emphasizes that AI has the potential to transform education by providing personalized learning at a scale never before possible.

He envisions AI supporting teachers by handling administrative tasks like grading and lesson planning, allowing teachers to focus more on human-to-human interactions and personalized attention for each student.

Khan highlights his project Conmigo, an AI-based Socratic tutor that goes beyond static videos by engaging students interactively and ethically, helping them stay on task and understand material deeply rather than just giving answers.

Despite initial fears about cheating and misuse of AI, Khan believes that with clear guardrails, transparency, and teacher involvement, AI can enhance learning experiences and prepare students more effectively for their future.

This approach aims to bring back a tutoring experience akin to Aristotle teaching Alexander the Great—personal, interactive, and tailored to the individual learner, but now accessible to anyone globally through technology.